The Gem Odyssey
by Exxetron
Summary: The Dire has acquired the use of the ancient artifact, the Shadow Blade. Able to turn its users invisible, it is a dangerous tool in the hands to a desperate faction that won't hesitate to use it against the other desperate faction. So, several heroes are sent to retrieve the sacred gem of the Summoning Sea. The story is going to be mostly of their exploits, i assure you. *wink*


Chapter One

Deep within the Radiant Jungle, Kunkka frowned. It was quite an exceptional frown. A true seaman's frown reserved for the types of storms that broke apart masts, ripped off sails and threw men overboard like leaves in the wind,

The Admiral was a tall, proud man with the rough-set features of an experienced sea captain. He was wearing a large, sweeping, coat as blue as the ocean. Under the coat, there was a worn silken shirt stained with dew and sweat. In his right hand, he clutched a large, curved sabre that projected the mirage of waves and water on it. He had a wide forehead and facial hair so unkempt that it would make a magnataur proud. On his head, he wore a light blue officer's cap with the sign of an anchor on the sloping ridge.

They were on the outskirts of the Radiant jungle, in which that seemed to be the perfect weather, and the perfect day. The birds were singing, the sun was shining and the Radiant soldiers were running all over the place,setting up a tower/outpost. It was not really a jungle of course, just a terminology coined by the passing travelers and heroes here and there, and the named stuck. Large evergreen trees rose from fertile ground covered by fresh, green grass. Ancient oaks groaned as the cool breeze rattle their mahogany brown branches. Scattered around the woods, pale, young birches and huge cedars towered over the smaller leafy bushes. Paths were made through the jungle, with the occasional stairs here and there hewn from solid granite. The Radiant respected the forest, but yet, not even their nature-drawn army can survive a battle after a long trek through a rough, narrow path full of pot holes and branches.

Usually, there was an abundance of creatures here in the Jungle, most barely sentient and civilized. They set up camps at junctions of paths to rest or simply to waylaid passing travelers, but today, none where here. One could usually find several mud golems, standing absolutely still, eyes staring straight ahead in reverie, a satyr or two engaging in animated conversation about the wonders of natural magic or a kobold taskmaster offering his service. No, something was off, Kunkka decided. _Always calm before the storm__._

"Place some observer and sentry wards around the camps,"He called to several Radiant footsoldiers. "The jungle creeps are gone and this can't be something good. Being surprised now would not fare well for us."

The soldiers that accompanied him where peculiar things. There were two types of soldiers currently accompanying him: the common footsoldier, and the mages. They were tall beings, these Radiants, proud in their arts of war. For him, though, they were a bit wooden, literally. Their skin was made of thick bark, with ripples of muscle crisscrossing across them. What little clothing they wore seemed to be made of leaf fiber that offered them little protection. For these beings, there seemed no distinction of gender at all. The mages were tall and sinewy, while the footsoldiers were squat but thickly muscled. Each footsoldier seems to be holding a sword made of some sort of hard green crystal-amber, maybe- and the mages were holding long gnarled branches as staffs. While they did possess the rudiments of sentience, they lacked a sophisticated culture, and most importantly for the Admiral, no ships. Not even boats. Although, it is a bit disturbing to work with beings whose matter was the same as the wood used on the ships that he had spent so much time on.

The foot soldiers grumbled, but obeyed. They produced several long contraptions, enclad in wax and enchanted eyeballs and in the colours of clue and green. The wards were a hideous thing. Hideous, but useful, concluded the Admirable Admiral. With them, it would make it significantly harder for any enemy to surprise the group. The foot solders circled around the perimeter of the camp, placing wards and alternating between the two in seemingly random sequences.

"Okay." Kunkka said. "The camp is secure enough for me now. What we need to do, is to scout the area. Something or someone's driven the creeps from their camps, and i intend to find out. Any volunteers?" Immediately, nearly a dozen hands shot up, eager at the prospect of action at last."A score of us then. A fine number for a search team." chuckled Kunkka. "The rest of ýou can stay here and guard the camp. Finish setting up the tower and then set up some guards. Serlyet can be the commanding-officer while I'm gone." Serlyet was a reliable officer. Decisive, loyal and experienced. One of the best officers a captain could have.

"Yes, Admiral!" chorused the group. Ah, just like having a crew again.

"I'll do my best, sir." said Serlyet. He was a particularly slim mage. Kunkka found him quite reliable as the captain of scouting parties and quite proficient in keeping order.

"All right. I know you will." Kunkka said with affection for the young ambitious officer. He could become a great officer one day, given the chance."The rest of you follow me." In his enormous experience however, he knew that Serlyet won't probably last long. It's always the promising ones that get torn apart by demons, crushed by a cannon ball, or perforated multiple times by some well-aimed musket balls. Such is war.

* * *

This was bad. They checked well over six camps already and none were occupied. Just where the hell were those creeps, wondered Kunkka. The campfires were still fresh, but the gold and belongings in each camp were gone, which could have meant a fight or robbery. They found no remains at all, and there where usually quite an amount of remains leftover after someone or something disturbs the neutral camps. Not even stains of blood. There were several scorch marks on trunks however, but that could mean anything between a bored ogre with charcoal, to fire mages. Suddenly, the sound of a sickening sound of metal slicing through flesh, the vlang of metal against metal and the thud of bodies falling on the ground was heard just over at the next camp.

"Admiral! There's sounds of fighting up ahead!" shouted a mage.

"I heard. Squad, form a defensive position, mages at the back and foot soldiers at the front! We'll check it out. Be carefully though, it might be dangerous up ahead."warned Kunkka. In around a minute, the squad formed in a quick defensive position and advanced. The scene waiting for them around the next tree was shocking. Three satyrs, A Tormenter, a Banisher, and a Mindstealer lay dead on the ground before them. They had multiple wounds, slash wounds and holes in their abdomens. One was even decapitated. The unusual thing was, their wounds were not leaking blood. In fact, they were cauterized shut. Which, no one had time to do in the seconds between finishing the satyrs and disappearing, unless...He suddenly realized who was responsible for this. Scorch marks, cauterized wounds, no bodies...Of course! His blood ran cold at this prospect and he tried to quickly shout out a warning, but it was too late. The only thing he had time to do, was to quickly raising his left hand, as if beckoning an invisible audience up. Deep inside the ground, an underwater river stirred. It was called upon. So, It came.

There was a loud stomp upon the ground and flames erupted out of the ground , seemingly spewing out of the ground itself, incinerating every single plantlife for up to twelve meters radius. The soldiers themselves did not fare much better. They were immediately engulfed in flames and consumed by the blaze. After a few seconds, the flames start to dissipate and stayed low-burning only a few centimeters off from the ground. The admiral emerged unscathed and covered with steam and water. Those few seconds delay were not enough to shout out a warning, but, just enough for him to cast a summon an ancient power. Looking around, he saw the scorched remains of the creeps, and a towering figure standing high and proud just five meters away. A figure, with long skeletal wings, and a monstrous, blazing sword.

"Ah, the Admirable, Admiral. I say your sword will make me a worthy trophy!" chuckled a deep baritone voice crackling with power. There was a smell of burning ozone and the swish of moving air, as the great flaming sword swung forward in an horizontal arc to slice his torso in half.

From the deeper inside the forest, there was a deafening roar. One that radiated power and wildness. The owner of the sword's resolve wavered for a bit, and that was enough for him to dodge the slice and block it with his own Tidebringer. Far away, but seemingly coming closer, the same voice shouted out.

"LUCIFER! HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOURSELF HERE! YOU SHALL PAY FOR THIS!"

**AN: I know, i changed the chapter a bit. My excuse is the fact that it was stupid of me to submit a first draft in as the first chapter. Construction criticism are appreciated, especially ones from other authors in tihs fandom. Anyways WOOHOO! Mah first fanfiction!  
**

**PS: Yes, i just changed the chapter again. I noticed a few spelling mistakes and inconsistencies in the storyline and i couldn't help but change to self: Become better proofreader.**


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